Rating: 8.4
It’s quite upsetting to realize that the relationship between Desi and Lucille was nowhere near the same as the one they portrayed between their respective characters, Ricky and Lucy. It’s so hard to separate them from these characters… they are just so iconic and to see their personal lives unravel during the making of the show was very interesting and sad in a way. The film itself is a great companion piece to “I Love Lucy”, such a cool look behind the scenes of how they made the episodes and how the complexities of Lucy and Desi’s personal lives were intertwined with the success of the show. Aaron Sorkin’s script is quite well done (but really who is surprised?) and I love how he was able to bring so much into it, from Lucy and Desi’s creativity and innovation within the television world, to their business senses, to their relationship, from pregnancies to cheating, as well as a communist scare. Not only that, he was able to show how all these factors very much influenced the show. I don’t understand why he picked the episode where Fred and Ethel fight to highlight… it’s one of the worst in the whole show… but maybe he had a point to that. I definitely found myself liking the behind the scenes elements best, as “I Love Lucy” is probably one of the most iconic sitcoms to date and pioneered so many techniques we come to take for granted, such as a multi camera setup. I just loved how it’s showed both Lucy and Desi’s creativity when solving problems with story, a joke, or even scene blocking. It really emphasizes Lucy as the artist and Desi as the businessman, with both moving through their studio as forces of nature. It was really cool to see the recreated Desilu Playhouse with all the iconic sets. My only problem was with the performances. The cast is great… but they all go for impressions rather than becoming the character. And the impressions aren’t good. Maybe it’s just because we all know Lucy and Ricky so well, but Nicole Kidman just could not find the same energy Lucille did when she would become Lucy. (It’s quite hard to live up to a personality quite as iconic and unique as Lucy). She was fine with the “off-camera” elements, and I though Javier Bardem was excellent as Desi, just not Ricky. (If that makes any sense.) And while the script is really solid, Aaron Sorkin’s direction still isn’t perfect and leaves the film feeling like it was half-baked. It’s better than some of his previous efforts but still not fantastic. If you love “I Love Lucy” or classic Hollywood, definitely check out this movie, but unfortunately it’s just not a perfect film. When it’s good it’s great, but it does have some very meh moments. It is quite meaningful for fans of the show, and to add one more thing, if you see this and like it I highly recommend checking out “I Love Lucy”. It’s a comfort show for me and one that has held up nearly 70 years now, I love it! And this movie really is a perfect companion piece to it!
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IMDb Rating: 6.9/10
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 69%
Metacritic Score: 60
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Amazon Studios / Prime Video
Written & Directed by Aaron Sorkin
Cast: Nicole Kidman, Javier Bardem, Nina Arianda, J.K. Simmons, Tony Hale, Alia Shawkat, Jake Lacy, Clark Gregg
Runtime: 2hr 11min
Rating: 14A
Biography, Drama
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In 1952, Hollywood power couple Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz face a series of personal and professional crises that threaten their careers, their relationship and their hit TV show.
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